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Screwdriver Pain: Man's Battle With World's Worst Condition
3 Feb
Summary
- Trigeminal Neuralgia is described as the most painful condition known.
- Attacks can be triggered by simple actions like wind or washing the face.
- Neurosurgery offers relief but carries significant risks, including death.
Gerwyn Tumelty, 52, described his suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) as a "screwdriver in the side of his face," experiencing agony so severe he contemplated ending his life. This rare condition, affecting approximately 8 in 100,000 people annually, involves a blood vessel strangling a facial nerve, often misdiagnosed as toothache. Attacks can be triggered by mundane actions like wind or washing, lasting mere seconds or up to two minutes and occurring hundreds of times daily.
In 2019, Gerwyn underwent neurosurgery to relieve pressure on the nerve, a procedure that carries risks of complications such as numbness, hearing loss, stroke, and death. Despite a successful recovery from the physical pain, Gerwyn later grappled with mental health issues. He found renewed purpose through healthy living, exercise, and challenging himself daily, including ice baths, to "face the day and to face life."
